System of control by impulses of predetermined different durations



I March' 15 1927.

. A. D. TRENOR SYSTEM OF CONTROL BY IMPULSES'OF PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT DURATIONS Fileld Aug'. 12 y192O| www.

` INI/ENTOH {TURA/Ey; I

- selectively any one of a plurality of opera ...Patented Mar. 15,1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF 1,620,987 Fica-r ALBERT D. TRNOR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JB.

SYSTEM OF'CONTROL BY IMPLSES PREDETERKINED DIEEiEERENl DURATIONS. l 7

Application ledlAngust 12, 1920. Serial No. 403,167.

Some of the objects of this invention are 'to provide a system for controlling from a distance in response to radiant or other impulses a main operative device and simultaneously controlling selectively any one of a pluralityrof subsidiary operative devices; to provide improved means for controlling tive devices; andto provide other improvements as will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawmgs Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a system of control Constructed in accordance with this invention; f

"Figure 2 is aplan view of a portion of the same;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a detail of the same. f Referring, to the drawings, one embodiment of this invention comprises a radio system of control especially 'adapted and -arranged to be mounted upon a movable body such as a marine vessel, aircraft or any. other movable body, andl including a main operative device 10, threesubsidiary operative devices 11, 12 and 13A an energy distributing device 15, and an energy receiving system 16. Only so much of the main operative device 10 is shown in the-accompany ing drawings asis necessary to an under-f standing of the present invention. The device l0 .includes an operating magnet M as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,295,741 granted to John Hays. Hammond, Jr., February 25, 1919, adapted and arrangedto control a rudder for steering a movable lbody either in one direction or in ther opposite direction. The subsidiary devices 11, 12 and 13 shown in the drawings are particularly arranged respectiv ly to control the speed of a motor for propelling the movablebody to control the dropping of mines or other obje'c'ts from the' movable body,l and to open or close the shutter of a search light arranged upon the movable body. lThe distributing device 15' comprises a fixed base 25 to which is rigidly secured a rigid supporting member 26 provided with a bracket 27 rigid therewith, and

siderably longer vthan the other three.

member 26 are three spaced conducting seg`- ments 35, 36 and 37 anda longer conducting .segment 39. The brushes v32, 33 at Su-itable times co-operate with these segments. One` I end 'of a spiral spring 41 is connected to the shaft 29 and the other end is secured to a projection 42 of the support 26. This spring tends to rotate the shaft'29A with gear, v wheel 30 in a counter "clockwise direction seen in Fig. 2. Rigidly secured to the shaft 29 is a ratchet 43 (,see Fig. 3) which is providefl with three' teeth 44, 45 and 46 of equal length and with a fourth tooth 47 consolenoid 50 is ixedly secured to thevbase 25 andis provided with a reciprocative' core 51, the left end of which is beveled to form a pawl or detent 51 arranged to cooperate* with the teet-h- 44,45, 46 and 47 and'is' normally\forced towards and held in engagement with the ratchet 43, as shown in Fig. 3 `by a spring 52.

A clock work-mechanism 55 of. any Iwell known suitable construction is supported upon the base 25 and is so arranged that its shaft 56 extends vertically upwards and is 'continuously rotated at a constantpredetermined speed. This speed may be varied by the usual or any suitable means. The shaft 56 is square in crossseetion and carries a gear or pinion 57 having a `hub provided with an yannular groove 58. {Fhis gear withI its hub is arranged to slide freely longitudinally of the shaft 56 but to be held against rotation with respect thereto.

62 which is secured to an electromagnet 63 which is fixed-upon the base 25. One end of- 'this arm is in the form of a yoke which endash pot cylinder 67 fixed upon the base 25.l

An arm 60 see Fig. 1 is pivoted at 61 to a fixed bracket- The piston 66 is provided with a small hole -y 68. A spring 70 isprovided which normallyv holds the member 60 and gear 57 in the po sition shown in Fig. 1.

One side of the winding of the solenoid 50 of the `distributing device 15 is connected l by a conductor 75 to terminal 76 and the other side of the winding of the solenoid is connected'vby a conductor 77 to one side of a battery 78. The other side of the battery 7 8 is connected by a conductor` 79toa pivoti led armature 80 of a fixed electromagnet 81.

,magnet 81'is held inl position shown in Fig."

1 by means of a spring '90. The two ends of the wiring ofmagnet 81 are connected by conductors 91, 92 to the radioreceivmg apparatus 16. n

The radio receiving apparatus 16 may be of anyA well knownl or suitable construction and is provided with an antenna 94`and a suitable ground 95. The arrangement 1s suchthat when an eleetroradiant impulse is member 102.

received by the antenna 94 the electQromagnet 81 is lenergized thusv closing the circuitL through'the main operative device 1,0, the solenoid 50 and the magnet63 of the distributing device 15.

At the right handl end of the core 51 of the solenoid 50 issecured a contact member 101 which is insulated therefrom, and which is arranged .to co-operate with a contact The contact 101 is connected by. a conductor 103 to the segment 39, and the contact 102 is connected by al conductor i104 yto one side ofa battery 105, the other side of which is connected. by a conductor 107 "to one side of the winding of a fixed solenoid 108, theother sideof thev winding "of `,which is connected by a conductor 109 to the segment 35. A conductor 110 leads vfrom the conductor 107 to one side of the winding pf a fixed solenoid 112, the other side of the winding of Vwhich is connected by ak conductor 113 to the .segment 36. The conductor 107 is 'connected by a conductor 115 to-one side of the-winding of a fixed solenoid 116, the other side of. the winding of which is connected by a hconductor 118 to the seg `ment 37. 'f

In the subsidiary or motor control `device 11, lthe solenoid 108 is provided with a reciprocative" "core- 120 which is provided with a rack which meshes with alpinion 121 loosely :mounted upon a rotary shaft 122,

having abearing in a iixed frame 123 which g supports thebsolenoid.108.` To the pinion 121 is rigidly secured a disk 124 pivoted tol which is ya spring pressed pawl 125 which meshes with a two toothed ratchet 127 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 122. The core 120 is normally held in the outward position shown .by means of a spring 128. The'upper `end of' shaft 122 is provided with a crank .member 130 to which is pivote@ a link 131. The other end of this link is pivoted,

to Ia 'rod 132 which .slides in a bearingY in ,frame 123.V The Outerend' of this rod engagesa slot in a throttle arm 133 of the drivin engme.

-Int e second subsidiaryJor. mine dropper device` 12, solen0id'1`12 is provided,A with a lmines, and the releasing members 139 lare i identical in construction and operationfwith the corresponding parts 120 and 121 of the subsidiary mechanism 11, first described.

,light 161.

146, 147 ofexplosive cylindrical lsubmarine mines 148, 149 respectively. The pins 146, 147 are constrained to slide in a raceway 153 formed by two elongated lfixed guides l 154, 155. The pins 146 and 147, the guides 154 and 155 and thereleasing member 139 are duplicated upon the opposite ends of the connected together to be oscillated` in unison by the link 138.

" In the third subsidiary or vsearchlight conf A i trol device 13 the .main parts 120 to 131 are Thehlink 131 in the third subsidiary mechanism 13 is connected to arod 158 which has a bearing in the frame-123. The outerend of rod 158 is connected to a link- 159 which operates to open or close a shutter 160 controlling the emission of light from a search AIn ,the operation of: this improved system,

vthe main operative device 10 is arranged to be 'controlled by means of short -impuls'es received by the antenna 94 and acting through the radio receiving apparatus -16 f 'to' energize electrmagnet 81. These' impulses are so short that theQarm 60- of the distributing device 15l is not rotated by magnet 63 to such an extent to causethe pinion 57 to engage the` gear' 30, because of the retarding` action ofwthe dash pot `67. If, 10.5

however, a suiiiciently proon'ged impulse 1s received the arm60 will beJ rotated in. as counter clockwiser direction by meansv of rmagnet 63 to such an extent as to'cause-the pinion 57 to be moved into engagement with 110 the gear 30 and as :the inion 57 is constantlyA Irotated at a uni orm speed in af' oo unter clockwisedirection, as viewed in A F1g. 2, the gear 30 will then be rotated at '5 la uniform slow rate of speed 1n a clockwise .115

direction thus carrying the contacts- 32, 33 with it. At the same time the solenoid 50 is energized whichdisengages the pawl 51 from theratcliet 43. After a predetermined interval of time the contacts 32 and 33 will. 120

engage segments 35 and l39and contact 32. will remain in engagement with segment 35 for a predetermined length of time, after which it will move of of'this segment vand on to segment 36 which 4it will be on for an- '12.5

other predetermined interval of, time and then itwill move off of this se ment and on to the segment 37 for a re etermined interval of time. The solenoi 50l being energized, contact 101 is moved out of en- 130.

.y gagement with 102 so `that. the motion .of

brush 32 overfcontacts 35, 36, 37 has no action upon thesubsidiary devices 11, 12 and 13. As soon as'the received impulse ot radiant energy is terminated, however, and the circuit through the magnet 63 and solenoid 50 is broken, the core 51y will be movedl to the left by the 'action of spring 52 and will engage with one of the teeth 44, 45 and 46 of the ratchet 43 dependent upon the position of the gear Wheel at the end of the impulse. For example, if this gear wheel 30 happened to be Iin such position that the brush 32 was on segment 35, the pawl 51' would engage withv tooth 46 thus holdingv the gear 30 in a fixed position. l

Upon the cessation' of the prolonged received impulse, the pinion 57 will be moved out of engagement withI the gear 30, by thLel ,spring 7 0 which is retarded by the dash pot 67. During this sliding movement of -the' pinion 57, the gear 30 will remain in such, displaced position as it is heldagainst movement in a counter clockwise direction by the tooth 46. As a, further result of the ,cessation of the prolonged Iimpulse, the contact 101 will be moved into engagement with contact 102.k thereby closing the circuit through conductor 103, segment'39, brushes 32, 33, segment 35, conductor 109, solenoid 108, conductor 107, battery 105 and `conductor 104` thusenergizing the Solenoid 108, which pu'ls the core 120 to the 'left thus rotating the pinion 121\through one-half a revolution'and by means of the,pawl and ratchetf125, 127 turning the shaft 122 through a half revolution. .This moves the link 131 to the right, which by means ofthe rod 132 movesthe throttle lever 133 to the right to decrease the speed of the driving engine. Thisleaves the gear 30 held in this position by means of the core 51 engaging v lVhen the next impulse is received, either of short or long duration, the core 51 will -bey drawn to the right thus releasing the shaft 29 which under the action 6i the spiral spring 41 willfthen be rotatedr in a counter clockwise direction until the long tooth 47 engages the, core 511thus stopping the rotation of shaft 39 and leaving the gear wheel 30 in its initial position.

If another impulse is received Aof suclr a duration as to bring the brush 32 on seg# I' Ament 35, anaction similar to that fir'st de\ scribed will take place and the shaft 122 will be rotated througha half revolutionv into the position shown in Fig. 1, thus pullling .the throttle lever 133 to the 4left and consequently .increasing lthe speed of the driving engine. If the length of thereceived impulse is so proportioned as to rcause the brush 32 to move onto the segment 36, at the en d of the im ulse, the circuit will Ibe'closed throughv con uctor 113, 'solenold mine 1.48.

112, condi1ctor 110, conductor 107, ,batteryt' 105, conductor104, contacts 102, 101, coni ductou 103, segment 39, Abrushes 32," 33, segment 36, thus energizing the solenoid 112, which pulls the core 135 -to the left and the 70 member 139 will`be rotated in a clockwise di 'rection allowing the mine 148 to be dropped but preventing the mine 149 from falling' out until the solenoid 112 is deenergized when the member 4139 will have assumed its nor- 75 mal position thus allowing-the mine 149 to fall into the position held`previusly by thus'rotating the shaft 122 throughan ad` .90

ditional half revolution and thereby close" the 4Shutter 1600i? the search light 161.

Should it so happen .that a number of thesubsidiary devices are operated successively with the possible resu`t that the course V olf the body be slightly changed thereby, this may easily be corrected by sending. a

.suitable number of relatively.x short impulses each sutliciently short not to operate the.`

subsidiary devices. but each partly correctlll ing the course of the boat. VAfsuitable num# l ber of such corrective impulses, would bring the boat back to its desired'course without actuation of the subsidiarv devices.

Having thus described thisinvention what 105 I claim is:

1. The combination with Ja mainv device of a subsidiarly device,means responsive to impulses of energy and operative-to control said main device as a result of each impulse '1W l received, and'operative to control only said mam devlce 1n response to a comparatively short impulse, selector means interposedbe` tween said devices to .control said subsidiary` device in response to an impulse ofv longer U5 predetermined duration, said selector means including a gear `wheel for driving said selector means, andl a `clock mechanism intermittently connected to said gear wheel for driving said gear wheel at a predetermined 'rate of speed, said gear wheel having its 'movement initiated and terminated under control of said' impulse lresponsive means.

i 2. The combination with a main device, of

a plurality of subsidiary devices,means re- ,125 sponsive to an impulse of energy and foperative to. control said-main device as a result of each impulse received,selector means in terposed between the main device and said plurality of subsidiary devices' to actuate one lill).

of saidusubsidiary devices selectivelyr dependent upon .the duration of the recelved impulse, said selector means including a' gear wheel for driving said selector means, and al clock mechanism intermittently connected to said gear wheel lfor driving said gear Wheel at a predetermined .rate of speed, vvsaid gear wheel having" its movement initiated and termmatediunder control of said impulse responsive means.

` 3. The combination with a main device of a plurality of separately operative subsi'diary devices, an energy distributing selector def vice interposed between the main device and ,trolling said subsidiary devices for consaidplurality of subsidiaiy 1 1 evices; se ectivey "and a receiving system for energy controlling said main device and saidenergy disy tributing device sim ltaneou'sly, said energy4 distributing device including time measur ing means for measuring the length of received impulses of energy. 5

, a plurality of separatel iary devices, an energy 4. The combination with a main device of operative subsidstributing selector device interposed between. the main device and said plurality of subsidiary-devices for controlling said subsidiary devices selectivel and a-receiving system orenergy 'contro lin 4said 4main deviceand said'energy distri uting device, said main device, being controlled as aresult of eachimpulse received by said receiving Systemand saidJ energyv 'distributing' device being controlled only in responseto impulses ofelonger duration than necessary to control sald main device, saidmanges? device in response to an impulse of longer predetermined duration, said selector including a clutch controlled by said Aimpulse responsive means for driving said selector, and a clock mechanism\intermittently connected by said clutch to said selector, the intermittent', connection being initiated and terminated under control of said impulse responsive means arranged when operatlvely tor at a predetermined rate of speed. i

'connected to said selector to drive the selec- 6. rThe combination with a main device,

of a plurality of subsidiary devices, means responsive' to an impulse of 'energy an operative to control said main device as a resultl of eachv impulse received, a distributor interposed between the main device afnd said plurality of subsidiary devices to actuate one of said subsidiary devices selectively de,- 1. f

pendent upon the duration of the received* impulse, and a 'clock mechanism operated at a constant rate of speed, said distributor. in cluding a clutch for intermittentl connect# ing sald clock mechanism to said istributor for driving said distributor and having the intermittent connection initiated and'terminated under the control of the impulse re-l' sponsive means; 7. The combination with a receiving system for energy,'of `afmain device mova tions, a plurality o separately operative subsidiary devices, and a selector interposed betweenthe inain device and `said plurality of subsidiary devices for controlling said subthe length of receive impulses of energy e by impulses received by said receiving system :to a comparativel large number4 of'posi- .'sidiaryfdevices selectively, said selector in-v l -clding time measurin means for measuring 85 'Y and operative to control a selected subsidiary device on af relatively long imp ulsev of energy Without changing the position "of the main device to an appreciable. extenti Signed at New York, 1n the county' of-New York and State of New York, this 30th day' of July, 1920.

i ALBERT TRENOR.

Y mi 

